


Another time and place

by widevibratobitch



Category: Don Carlos - Friedrich Schiller, Don Carlos | Don Carlo - Verdi/du Locle/Méry
Genre: Also there are horses in this one, And a Therapy, And love, Carlo darling love yourself, Carlo needs a hug, Like a lot of hugs, M/M, My baby off to destroy people, Rodrigo needs to acknowledge how freaking gay he actually is, The Great Siege of Malta, The boiz are freakin pussies, Unresolved Sexual Tension, at least i hope so, especially from one person, i hate myself for writing this, i'll probably delete these tags tomorrow, i'm drunk, idk i like horses, they're nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 21:54:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14317950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widevibratobitch/pseuds/widevibratobitch
Summary: Rodrigo is leaving to fight in the Great Siege of Malta. Carlo is not happy. There are tears.





	Another time and place

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote it supposedly in the opera-verse, there are some references to the libretto, but the information of Rodrigo's running away from university to fight for St. Elmo comes actually from Schiller's drama, so I guess it works fine in both verses. You can tell I had the opera in my mind though because I use "Carlo" instead of "Carlos", oh well. 
> 
> The title comes from Amy Diamond's song "Another Day". The last time I listened to it, I didn't even know opera yet and it was my best friend (not anymore, life is shit, children) who showed me it. And I just suddenly remembered this song, I don't know why, but hell if the lyrics don't suit Carlo and Rodrigo's relationship just perfectly. 
> 
> This fic is unbeta'd and English is not my first language, so if you find any mistakes (and I bet you will, I tend to get lost in the longer works), feel free to point them out to me. Also, I use a lot of italics in this one. I had already reduced them to the minimum but it's still a lot, I just love italics, you gotta forgive me that. Anyway, hope you'll enjoy!

“Are you sure you want to go?” Carlo asked trying to keep his voice from breaking. He stood guard,  holding the candlestick, while Rodrigo finished preparing his horse for the journey. The night was warm and quiet, disturbed only by the neighing of the horses and it didn’t look like anyone was going to visit the university’s stable at this hour. So Carlo didn’t pay much attention to anything but his friend’s faintly lit silhouette, visibly struggling with the harness. Carlo was not eager to help him. He did not want him to leave.

“I have to, it is my duty. Would you come closer with the light? I cannot see a damn thing,” Rodrigo sounded slightly annoyed and Carlo curled a little on himself but approached him and held up the candle. As Rodrigo fastened the buckles cursing under his breath, Carlo kept looking at him, desperately trying not to think of the lonely months that awaited him here.

He felt sick at the sole thought of his fellow students calling him _your royal highness_ and at the same time treating him as if he was no more worthy of their friendship than a verminous, limping dog. None of them ever talked to him in a different manner than just acquiescing  to his every sentence, the only words coming from them being _yes, you’re right, absolutely, your highness_. And definitely none of them smiled so genuinely at his sight or called him _my Carlo_ or made the gloomy fog, looming over his spirit, vanish with a single laugh or a touch. Or by simply _being there_.

His cheeks were wet before he even realized it and he wiped them quickly. Although not quickly enough for Rodrigo not to notice. He looked up at Carlo and the prince could see something soften in his slightly irritated expression, before it completely melted away and he wrapped his arms tightly around Carlo, who snuggled his face in the crook of his friend’s neck.

“Oh, Carlo,” Rodrigo stroked his hair gently. Something in Carlo snapped and he thanked God that his sob was stifled by the rich fabric of Rodrigo’s collar. He despised himself. He was not a child anymore but a grown man. It was unsuited for the Infant of Spain, the son of Filippo II, to cry at all, not to mention his supposedly mature age of eighteen summers. And yet at the sole thought of losing his only friend, the most benignant soul in all of Spain – in all the world – he felt his insides twist and his mind go blank with fear.

Finally Rodrigo broke the embrace, and Carlo didn’t dare protest, even though at this moment, he wanted nothing more than to be held by him. Rodrigo instead placed his hands on the prince’s shoulders, facing him. Carlo looked away. He couldn’t bear his gaze, couldn’t make himself look into those dark, noble eyes and not break into a crying mess. Rodrigo’s hands travelled down his shoulders and squeezed his arms gently, “My Carlo, I shall be back before the year ends.”

“And if you shall not?” he heard Rodrigo’s slightly exasperated sigh and dug his nails into his palms so hard it hurt. _Good_.

“Then expect me at the beginning of the new one.” His friend stated matter-of-factly, his tone casual, almost uncaring. Carlo felt the overwhelming sadness suddenly evaporate and strong irritation appear in its place. He shook Rodrigo’s hands off him.

“And what if you do not come back then either? What if you do not come back at all? Do you think I am an idiot?” _Are you not?_ a hateful voice whispered at the back of his mind. He realized he raised his voice only when Rodrigo shushed him hastily, looking around anxiously. The horse neighed loudly and Rodrigo turned quickly to stroke its nuzzle, trying to calm it down. He’d done it with such tenderness that Carlo actually envied the animal. “Do you think I do not know why are you going there? It is not a harmless journey – it is war!” Rodrigo acted quickly. With one hand he grasped the back of Carlo’s neck and covered his mouth with the other.

“Will you be quiet?” he whispered, though Carlo heard it more like a hiss of an irritated cat. It was quite funny how much Rodrigo reminded him of a cat sometimes. With his significant, eloquent body language, with his head always held high, with that proud look in his eyes… The eyes that were now fixed on Carlo’s face, begging him to _shut up_. There wasn’t really any anger in his friend’s gaze but Carlo nevertheless heard that hateful voice in the back of his mind, whisper some awful things. His eyes welled up with tears for the countless time this night. Rodrigo sighed and finally took his hand off Carlo’s mouth and instead cupped his chin gently. “My dearest prince…”

“I cannot lose you, Rodrigo,” Carlo whispered for he couldn’t trust his voice not to break.

“You will not,” Rodrigo smiled genuinely and stroked Carlo’s cheek with his thumb. The prince closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go, it is my duty. It is what my heart tells me I need to do.”

“Let me come with you,” Carlo said so quietly, he barely heard it himself. But Rodrigo was standing close to him, _so close_ to him… He heard it.

“You are a prince, Carlo, not a knight. Your people need you. Your legacy is to bring them consolation, the freedom they crave. And deserve.”

“Do I not deserve some myself?” Carlo opened his eyes and looked up, meeting his friend’s gaze. For a moment he could not quite read his expression, then Rodrigo laughed heartily.

“My beloved Carlo,” he leaned in and kissed the prince’s forehead, pressing his soft, warm lips to it for a long, quiet moment, before taking Carlo’s hand into his and squeezing it ardently, “I am going to miss you so much.”

 

 

They left the stable, Rodrigo leading the horse behind him, the almost burned down candle in Carlo’s hand lighting their way to the main road. Carlo kept close to his friend, so close he could feel the heat of his body and hear his breath in the total silence of the night. They did not talk until they finally reached the road.

“Here it is then” Carlo uttered, his clenched throat barely allowing him to speak, his voice thick. Rodrigo was quiet for a moment. He did not look at the prince, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular in the darkness spreading before them. The dimming light in Carlo’s hands illuminated his features in such a… _magnificent_ way.

“Yes, well…” Rodrigo said absently, then seemed to break out of it, smiled and turned to Carlo, “I will write to you as soon as I can.”

“I will be waiting,” Carlo looked into his friend’s eyes and felt something in his gut twist, making him dizzy. They were so close. _So, so close_. His fingers brushed over Rodrigo’s hand, “Please, be careful,” he whispered and his feet took him just a tiny step closer. Rodrigo looked at him in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable, then he cupped his face gently, stroking his cheek with those long, warm fingers, his gaze jumping from Carlo’s eyes to his mouth.

“I will” came the quiet answer and Carlo could feel Rodrigo’s hot breath caress his face. His mind swirled and he closed his eyes, leaning in, his lips parting on their own, his mind not even registering it. Not registering anything other than Rodrigo’s presence, so close. _So close to him_.

_Oh, blessed Providence._

They stood like that in silence, for what seemed like ages, Rodrigo’s face but a fraction from Carlo’s, their mouths nearly brushing against each other.

Before Rodrigo withdrew and Carlo suddenly felt the cool wave of the night air hit him.

“It is time” Rodrigo said, not looking at him. Carlo simply nodded. For a moment they stood in silence, none of them daring to move. Finally Rodrigo turned around, about to get on the horse, when Carlo caught his wrist.

“Promise me you’ll come back,” he didn’t care for the clear desperation leaking off his words. His fingers tightened their grip and Rodrigo finally met his gaze. “You are everything I have, Rodrigo. You are my heart,” his voice broke miserably. _Pitiful_ , Carlo shoved the awful voice back, concentrating only on those deep, dark eyes, gleaming with uncertainty. Then Rodrigo smiled benignly and took Carlo’s hand in his.

“Then if you find yours still beating, it means mine is too. _We live together and we die together._ This is the vow we took and I am not going to break it. I will come back, my prince. I promise,” he added quietly and brought Carlo’s hand to his lips, pressing them to the prince’s cool fingers.

Carlo swallowed with great difficulty. He wanted to say something but he couldn’t find his voice. He nodded and Rodrigo let go and turned around, hopping on the horse with his usual grace. The prince’s eyes stung with hot tears that he tried to blink away to no avail. He wiped them with his sleeve. The horse neighed quietly and Carlo placed his hand on its soft, warm muzzle, stroking it gently. _Bring him back to me._

“Carlo,” his head snapped up at his friend’s voice. He didn’t need to see his reflection to know just how ludicrous and pitiful he looked, because Rodrigo failed to suppress a benign laugh at the sight of his red, glassy eyes. He reached down and Carlo immediately gave him his hand, which he squeezed reassuringly. Rodrigo smiled down at him, as always, in the most wonderful way, “ _Addio.”_

**Author's Note:**

> These idiots are killing me.


End file.
